Apparatus for annealing metal plates and sheets



a w. JENKINS, SR

APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING METAL PLATES AND SHEETS Filed May 26, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet Jan. 25 1927- W. L. JENKINS. SR

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APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING METAL PLATES AND SHEETS Filed May 26, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet w. JENKINS, SR

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UNITED STATES 1,615,627 PATENT OFFICE.

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HALI TO JOHN A. HELLSTROM, F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR ANN'EALING METAL PLATES AND SHEETS.

Application filed May 26, 1 925. Serial'li'o. 32,887.

My invention relates to apparatus for annealing metal sheets and plates.

One object of this invention is to provide an annealing furnace having arotary carrier therein for the sheets or plates. other object istoprovide means outside the furnace for supporting at least the upperportion thereof. Another object is to build the furnace in sections fromthe level of the carrier, so that only a portion of the furnace wallswill have to be taken out in order to remove the carrier. Other objectsappear hereinafter. v f Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1is a top plan view of my annealing apparatus with a portion broken awayFig.

' portion thereof. 9 are '2, a rear elevation of the said apparatus;Fig. 3, a central longitudinal view of the ap paratus, portions being inside elevation; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the apparatus, the wasteport 8" being shown on the oposite side of the furnace from its positionin Fig. 1; Fig. 5, an end elevation thereof; and Fig. 6, a section ofthe upper part of the furnace, the section being on the upper half ofthe line 66 of Fig. 3.

On the drawings, 1 designates the foundation on which rests the furnacehaving the floor 2, the end walls 3 and 4, the front wall 5, the rearwall 6, and the removable roof 7 restin on the said end, front, andrearwalls. e furnace has burner openings 8 in its side and end walls andnear the lower the burners adapted to consume oil or gas. Other types ofheat-- ing means may be employed. The. waste gases escape from thefurnace through the ports 8'.

I provide pillars 10 at the ends of the furnace. The pillars afe spacedfrom the ends of the furnace and support theshaft .14 of the rotarycarrier 12. The'bearings are preferably of the roller type asjshown atthe left end of Fig. 3. The pillars as well as the drivin machinery forthe carrier and for the feeder to be described herein are supported onthe metalb'ases 13 at the ends of the foundation 1. The shaft '14 liesin openings in the end walls of the furnace and is provided within the.furnace with rows of metal fingers 15 running longitudinally of theshaft, the spaces between consecutive rows of fingers constitutingpockets for the reception and transfer of the plates or sheets 16 to beannealed as the carrier rotates.

The shaft 14 has fixed thereon the spurgear 17 which meshes with thepinion 18 on the shaft 19 supported by the bearings 20. The shaft 19carries the worm-gear 21 which meshes with the worm 22 on the shaft23 ofthe motor 27 The shaft 19 has also the spur-gear 25- a feeding slot 33for the plates or sheets 16.

34 is a'table at-the front of the furnace with its horizontal top 35 inthe plane of the lower lip of the ope'nin 33. 36'is a pusher slidable onthe table and aving lugs 37 riding in the slots 38 in the top of thetable. The rear edge of the pusher is pivoted on the rod 39 carried bythe arms or links 40 fixed to the rock-shaft 31. Weights 41 are carriedby the rear side' of the rock-shaft.v They tend to return the pusher toits extreme outer position. i

' The end of the shaft 14 opposite that which bears the gear 17 isprovided with the gear 42 exactly like gear 17. It meshes with thepinion 43 which is exactly like the inion18, the'latter being on theshaft 44 w ich 85 The rear of the furnace has below the level.

of the shaft 14 the outwardly and downwardly inclined discharge slot 51arranged at an angle of about between the horizontal and vertical planeswhich include the longitudinal axis of the shaft 14. There are a. numberof skids 52 which lie on the "floor of the slot and extend into thefurnace ioo,

and outlet pipes 59 for water circulation to keep the carrier cool. Itwill be noted the shaft 14 has lugs 60 extending out beyond its surfaceand serving as rests for the plates or sheets. These lugs allow the hotburning gases to flow in contact with all sides of the edges of theplates and sheets. The lugs cover only a very small length of the edgeof a sheet or plate. I

' The operation is as follows: The motor 2'? is started and causes theshaft 14 and carrier 12 to rotate, motion being transmitted through theworm 22, the worm gear v21, the

shaft 19, and thegears l8 and 17. The

shaft 19 rotates the gear 25 which drives the pinion 26. The latterrotates the crank 28 which operates the pitman 29, to rock the shaft 31and cause the pusher 36 to reciprocate toward and away from the chargingopening 33. Sheets are placed on the table 34 in front of the pushereach time the latter has moved to its back limit. At each forwardmovement of the pusher a sheet 16 ,is shoved into the furnace betweentwo rows of fingers 15, the rotation of the carrier and the actuation ofthe pusher being timed to feed the sheets into consecutive spacesbetween the longitudinal rows of fingers. As the plates pass up over theshaft and down to their discharge position on the skids 52, they becomesuitably heated from the burners 9.

I claim- 1. In anapparatus for annealing metal sheets or plates, afurnace chamber, a rotatable shaft therein; radial fingers attached tothe shaft and arranged in rows longitudinal the periphery of the shaftto serve as seats for the inner edges of the sheets or plates wherebythe inner edges of the sheets or plates are spaced from the shaft sothatv burning gases may pass between the shaft and the said edges andbetween consecutive projections.

2. In an apparatus for'annealing metal sheets or plates, afurnacechamber, a rotatable shaft therein, radial fingers attached to the shaftand arranged in rows longitudinal of the shaft, means whereby sheets maybe fed into spaces between consecutive rows offingers, a sheet or platedischarge passage through one side of the furnace, the passage beingbelow the level of the shaft, and downwardly and outwardly inclinedskids arranged in the passage and projecting inwardly into the path ofsheets or plates beng conveyed downwardly by the rows of fingers,whereby the sheets or plates will be discharged down the skids andprevented from accompanying their supporting fingers beyond the skids.

3. In an apparatus for annealing metal sheets or plates, a furnacehaving a removable roof, and a rotary sheet or plate carrying shaftextending through the ends of the furnace and supported outside thefurnace, the end walls of the furnace being built in the said walls as aseparate unit from the shaft to the top of the said walls, and the saidunit being as wide as the diameter of the shaft where it passes throughthe walls, whereby the units may be removed without disturbing otherpartsof the said walls.

In testimony whereof, I' hereunto afiix my signature this 23rd day ofMay; 1925.

' WILLIAM L. JENKINS, SR.

